IV.What this rest containeth
CHAP. IV What this Rest containeth.
BUT all this is only the outward court, or at least not the holiest of all. Now we have ascended the steps, may we look within the veil?
May we show what this rest containeth, as well as what it presupposeth? But, alas! how little know I of that whereof I am about to speak. Shall I speak before I know? But if I stay till I clearly know,
I shall not come again to speak. That glimpse which Paul saw, contained that which could not, or must not, be uttered, or both. And if Paul had had a tongue to have uttered it, it would have done no good, except his hearers had ears to hear it. If Paul had spoken the things of heaven in the language of heaven, and none understood that language, what the better? Therefore, I will speak while I may, that little, very little which I do know of it, rather than be wholly silent. The Lord reveal it to me, that I may reveal it to you; and the Lord open some light, and show both you and me his inheritance: not, as to Balaam only, whose eyes the vision of God opened, to see the goodliness of Jacob's tents, and Israel's tabernacles, where he had no portion, but from whence must come his own destruction:r nor as to Moses, who had only a discovery, instead of possession, and saw the land which he never entered. But as the pearl was revealed to the merchant in the Gospel, who rested not till he had sold all he had, and bought it:t and as heaven was opened to blessed Stephen, which he was shortly to enter, and the glory showed him, which should be his own possession.
Sect. I. 1. There is contained in this rest, 1. A cessation from motion or action; not of all the action, but of that which hath the nature of a means, and implies the absence of the end. When we have obtained the haven, we have done sailing. When the workman hath his wages, it is implied he hath done his work. When we are at our journey's end, we have done with the way. All motion ends at the centre, and all means cease when we have the end. Therefore, prophesying
ceasetlr, tongues fail, and knowledge shall be done away; that is, so far as it had the nature of a means, and was imperfect. And so faith may be said to cease: not all faith, for how shall we know all things past, which we saw not but by believing? How shall we know the last judgment, the resurrection of the body beforehand, but by believing?
How shall we know the life everlasting, the eternity of the joys we possess, but by believing? But all that faith, which, as a means referred to the chief end, shall cease. There shall be no more prayer, because no more necessity, but the full enjoyment of what we prayed for. Whether the soul pray for the body's resurrection, for the last judgment, &c., or whether soul and body pray for the eternal continuance of their joys, is to me yet unknown; otherwise, we shall not need to pray for what we have, and we shall have all that is desirable. Neither shall we need to fast, and weep, and watch, any more, being out of the reach of sin and temptations. Nor will there be use for instructions and exhortations: preaching is done, the ministry of man ceaseth, sacraments useless, the labourers called in because the harvest in gathered, the tares burned, and the work done, the unregenerate past hope, the saints past fear for ever, much less shall there be any need of labouring for inferior ends, as here we do, seeing they will all devolve themselves into the ocean of the ultimate end, and the lesser good be wholly swallowed up of the greatest.
Sect. II. 2. This rest containeth a perfect freedom from all the evils that accompanied us through our course, and which necessarily follow our absence from the chief good. Besides our freedom from the eternal flames, and restless miseries, which the neglecters of Christ and grace, must remedilessly endure; an inheritance which, both by birth and actual merit, was due to us as well as to them. As God will not know the wicked so as to own them; so neither will heaven know iniquity to receive it: for there entereth nothing that defileth, or is unclean; all that remains without. And, doubtless, there is not such a thing as grief and sorrow known there: nor is there such a thing as a pale face, a languid body, feeble joints, unable infancy, decrepit age, peccant humours, dolorous sickness, griping fears, consuming cares, nor whatsoever deserves the name of evil.
Indeed, a gale of groans and sighs, a stream of tears, accompanied us to the very gates, and there bid us farewell for ever. We did weep and lament, when the world did rejoice; but our sorrow is turned into joy, and our joy shall no man take from us. God were not the chief and perfect good, if the full fruition of him did not free us from all evil.
But we shall have occasion to speak more fully of this in that which follows.
Sect. III. 3. This rest containeth the highest degree of the saints' personal perfection, both of soul and body. This necessarily qualifies them to enjoy the glory, and thoroughly to partake of the sweetness of it. Were the glory ever so great, and themselves not made capable by a personal perfection suitable thereto, it would be little to them.
There is necessary a right disposition of the recipient, to a right enjoying, and affecting. This is one thing that makes the saints' joys there so great. Here, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived, what God hath laid up for them that wait for him." For this eye of flesh is not capable of seeing it, nor this ear of hearing it, nor this heart of understanding it; but there the eye, and ear, and heart, are made capable; else how do they enjoy it? The more perfect the sight is, the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical the ear, the more pleasant the melody. The more perfect the soul, the more joyous those joys, and the more glorious to us is that glory. Nor is it only our sinful imperfection that is here to be removed; nor only that which is the fruit of sin, but that which adhered to us in our pure naturals. Adam's dressing the garden, was neither sin nor the fruit of sin: nor is either to be less glorious than the stars, or the sun in the firmament of our Father: yet is this the dignity to which the righteous shall be advanced.b There is far more procured by Christ, than was lost by Adam. It is the misery of wicked men here, that all without them is mercy, excellent mercies, but within them a heart full of sin shuts the door against all, and makes them but the more miserable. When all is well within, then all is well indeed. The near good is the best, and the near evil and enemy the worst. Therefore
will God, as a special part of his saints' happiness, perfect themselves, as well as their condition.
Sect. IV. 4. This rest containeth, as the principal part, our nearest fruition of God, the chiefest good. And here, reader, wonder not if I be at a loss, and if my apprehensions receive but little of that which is in my expressions. If, to the beloved disciple that durst speak and inquire into Christ's secrets, and was filled with his revelations, and saw the New Jerusalem in her glory, and had seen Christ, Moses, and Elias, in part of theirs; if it did not appear to him what it shall be, but only in general, that when Christ appears we shall be like him, no wonder if I know little. When I know so little of God, I cannot know much what it is to enjoy him. When it is so little I know of my own soul, either its quiddity or quality, while it is here in this tabernacle, how little must I needs know of the infinite Majesty, or the state of this soul when it is advanced to that enjoyment! If I know so little of spirits and spirituals, how little of the Father of spirits! Nay, if I never saw that creature which contains not something unsearchable; nor the worm so small, which affordeth not matter for questions to puzzle the greatest philosopher I ever met with; no wonder, then, if mine eyes fail, when I would look at God, my tongue fail me in speaking of him, and my heart in conceiving.d As long as the Athenian superscription doth so too well suit with my sacrifices, "To the unknown God," and while I cannot contain the smallest rivulet, it is little I can contain of this immense ocean. We shall never be capable of clearly knowing, till we are capable of fully enjoying; nay, nor till we do actually enjoy him. What strange conceivings hath a man, born blind, of the sun, and its light; or a man born deaf, of the nature of sounds and music! so do we yet want that sense by which God must be clearly known. I stand and look upon a heap of ants, and see them all, with one view, very busy to little purpose. They know not me, my being, nature, or thoughts, though I am their fellow-creature; how little, then, must we know of the great Creator, though he with one view continually beholds us all. Yet a knowledge we have, though imperfect, and such as must be done away. A glimpse the saints behold, though but in a glass, which makes us
capable of some poor, general, dark apprehensions of what we shall behold in glory. If I should tell a worldling but what the holiness and spiritual joys of the saints on earth are, he cannot know it; for grace cannot be clearly known without grace: how much less could he conceive it, should I tell him of this glory! But to the saints I may be somewhat more encouraged to speak; for grace giveth them a dark knowledge, and slight taste of the glory.
As all good whatsoever is comprised in God, and all in the creature are but drops of this ocean; so all the glory of the blessed is comprised in their enjoyment of God: and if there be any mediate joys there, they are but drops from this. If men and angels should study to speak the blessedness of that estate in one word, what can they say beyond this, 'That it is the nearest enjoyment of God?' Say,
'They have God;' and you say, 'They have all that is worth the having.'
O the full joys offered to a believer in that one sentence of Christ's! I would not, for all the world, that one verse had been left out of the Bible: "Father, I will, that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me." (John 17:24.) Every word is full of life and joy. If the Queen of Sheba had cause to say of Solomon's glory, "Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants that stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom," then, sure, they that stand continually before God, and see his glory, and the glory of the Lamb, are somewhat more than happy: to them will Christ "give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God;" and "to eat of the hidden manna." (Rev. 2:7, 17.) Yea, "He will make them pillars in the temple of God, and they shall go no more out: and he will write upon them the name of his God, and the name of the city of his God, New
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from God, and his own new name." (Rev. 3:12.) Yea, more, if more may be, "He will grant them to sit with him in his throne." (Rev. 3:21.) "These are they who come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb; therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them: and the Lamb
which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and lead them unto living fountains of water; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Rev. 7:14, 15, 17.) And may we not now boast with the spouse, "This is my beloved, O daughters of Jerusalem!" And this is the glory of the saints! O blind, deceived world, can you show us such a glory? "This is the city of our God, where the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." "The glory of God shall enlighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."
(Rev. 21:3, 24.) "And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.
These sayings are faithful and true, and these are the things that must shortly be done." (Rev. 22:3, 4, 6.) And now we say, as Mephibosheth, 'Let the world take all besides, if we may but see the face of our Lord in peace.' If the Lord lift up the light of his countenance on us here, it puts more gladness in our hearts than the world's increase can do. (Psal. 4:6, 7.) How much more, when in his light we shall have light without darkness; and he shall make us full of joy with his countenance. "Rejoice, therefore, in the Lord, O ye righteous; and shout for joy, all ye that are upright of heart;" and say with his servant David, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance; the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places: yea, I have a goodly heritage: I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved: therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope: for he will not leave me in the grave, nor suffer me for ever to see corruption. He will show me the path of life, and bring me into his presence, where is fulness of joy; and at his right hand, where are pleasures for evermore." (Psal. 16:5, 6, 8–11.) "Whom, therefore, have I in heaven but him, or in earth that I desire besides him? My flesh and my heart have failed, and will fail me; but God is the strength of my heart, and will be my portion for ever; he shall guide me with his counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory; and as they that are far from him shall perish, so it is good, the chief good, for us to be near to God."
(Psal. 73:24–28.)
The advancement is exceeding high: what irreverent, damnable presumption would it have been, once to have thought or spoken of such a thing, if God had not spoken it before us! I durst not have thought of the saint's preferment in this life, as Scripture sets it forth, had it not been the express truth of God. What vile unmannerliness, to talk of "being sons of God," "speaking to him," "having fellowship and communion with him," "dwelling in him and he in us;" if this had not been God's own language! How much less durst we have once thought of "being brighter than the sun in glory;" of "being coheirs with Christ; of judging the world; of sitting on Christ's throne; of being one with him;" if we had not all this from the mouth, and under the hand of God! But hath he said it, and shall it not come to pass? Hath he spoken it, and will he not do it? Yes, as true as the Lord God is true, thus shall it be done to the man whom Christ delights to honour. "The eternal God is their refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover them all the day long, and he shall dwell between their shoulders." (Deut. 33:27, 28.) "Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow them all the days of their lives, and then they shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." (Psal. 23:6.)
O Christians! believe and consider this. Is sun, and moon, and stars, and all creatures, called upon to praise the Lord? What then should his people do? Surely they are nearer him, and enjoy more of him than the brutes shall do. All his works praise him, but, above all, let his saints bless him. (Psal. 105:10.) O let them speak of the glory of his kingdom, and talk of his power: to make known to the sons of men, his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. (Ver.
11, 12.) "Let his praise be in the congregation of his saints; let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth; for the Lord taketh pleasure in his people, and will beautify the meek with salvation." (Psal. 149:1, 2, 4–6.) "This is the light that is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. (Psal. 97:11.) Yea,
"this honour have all his saints." (Psal. 149:9.) If the estate of the devils, before their fall, were not much meaner than this, and
perhaps lower than some of their fellow-angels, surely their sin was most accursed and detestable. Could they aspire higher? And was there yet room for discontent? What is it, then, that would satisfy them? Indeed, the distance that we sinners and mortals are at from our God, leaves us some excuse for discontent with our estate. The poor soul out of the depth cries, and cries aloud, as if his Father were out of hearing: sometime he chides the interposing clouds, sometime he is angry at the vast gulf that is set between; sometime he would have the veil of mortality drawn aside, and thinks death hath forgot his business; he ever quarrels with this sin that separates, and longs till it be separated from the soul, that it may separate God and him no more: why, poor Christian, be of good cheer; the time is near, when God and thou shalt be near, and as near as thou canst well desire: thou shalt dwell in his family; is that enough? It is better to be a door-keeper in his house, than enjoy the portion of the wicked.
Thou shalt ever stand before him, about his throne, in the room with him, in his presence chamber. Wouldst thou yet be nearer? Thou shalt be his child, and he thy father; thou shalt be an heir of his kingdom; yea, more, the spouse of his Son; and what more canst thou desire? Thou shalt be a member of the body of his Son, he shall be thy head; thou shalt be one with him, who is one with the Father.
Read what he hath desired for thee of his Father. "That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; and the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
(John 17:2–23.) What can you desire yet more? Except you will, as some do, abuse Christ's expression of oneness, to conceive of such a union, as shall deify us; which were a sin one step beyond the aspiring arrogancy of Adam; and, I think, beyond that of the devils. A real conjunction, improperly called union, we may expect; and a true union of affections. A moral union, improperly still called union, and a true relative union, such as is between the members of the same politic body and the head: yea, such as is between the husband and the wife, who are called one flesh. And a real communion, and
communication of real favours, flowing from that relative union. If there be any more, it is acknowledged unconceivable, and consequently un-expressible, and so not to be spoken of. If any one can conceive of a proper real union and identity, which shall neither be a unity of essence, nor of person with Christ, I shall not oppose it: but to think of such a union were high blasphemy. Nor must you think of a union, as some do, upon natural grounds, following the dark mistaken principles of Plato and Plotinus. If your thoughts be not guided and limited by Scripture in this, you are lost.l
Quest. But how is it we shall enjoy God?
Answ. That is the fifth and last we come to.
Sect. V. This rest containeth a sweet and constant action of all the powers of the soul and body in this fruition of God. It is not the rest of a stone, which ceaseth from all motion, when it attains the centre.
The senses themselves, as I judge, are not only passive in receiving their object, but partly passive and partly active. Whether the external senses, such as now we have, shall be continued and employed in this work, is a great doubt. For some of them, it is usually acknowledged they shall cease, because their being importeth their use, and their use implieth our estate of imperfection: as there is no use for eating and drinking, so neither for the taste. But for other senses the question will be harder; for Job saith, "I shall see him with these eyes."
But do not all senses imply our imperfection? If Job did speak of more than a redemption from this present distress, as it is like he did, yet certainly these eyes will be made so spiritual, that whether the name of sense, in the same sense as now, shall befit them, is a question. This body shall be so changed, that it shall be no more flesh and blood, for "that cannot inherit the kingdom of God;" (1 Cor.
15:50;) but "a spiritual body. (ver. 44.) "That which we sow, we sow not that body that shall be; but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body." (1 Cor. 15:37, 38.) As the ore is
cast into the fire a stone, but comes forth so pure a metal, that it deserves another name, and so the difference betwixt it and the gold exceeding great: so far greater will the change of our bodies and senses be; even so great, as now we cannot conceive. If grace make a Christian differ so much from what he was, that the Christian could say to his companion, 'Ego non sum ego,' 'I am not the man I was;' how much more will glory make us differ? We may then say much more, 'This is not the body I had, and these are not the senses I had.'
But because we have no other name for them, let us call them senses, call them eyes and ears, seeing and hearing: but thus conceive of the difference; that as much as a body spiritual, above the sun in glory, exceedeth these frail, noisome, diseased lumps of flesh or dirt that now we carry about us; so far shall our sense of seeing and hearing exceed these we now possess: for the change of the senses must be conceived proportionable to the change of the body. And, doubtless, as God advanceth our sense, and enlargeth our capacity; so will he advance the happiness of those senses, and fill up with himself all that capacity. And certainly the body should not be raised up and continued, if it should not share of the glory: for as it hath shared in the obedience and sufferings, so shall it also do in the blessedness: and as Christ bought the whole man, so shall the whole partake of the everlasting benefits of the purchase. The same difference is to be allowed for the tongue. For though, perhaps, that which we now call the tongue, the voice, the language, shall not then be: yet, with the forementioned, unconceivable change, it may continue. Certain it is, it shall be the everlasting work of those blessed saints, to stand before the throne of God and the Lamb, and to praise him for ever and ever. As their eyes and hearts shall be filled with his knowledge, with his glory, and with his love; so shall their mouths be filled with his praises. Go on, therefore, O ye saints, while you are on earth, in that divine duty. Learn, O learn, that saint-beseeming work: for in the mouths of his saints his praise is comely. Pray, but still praise: hear and read, but still praise: praise him in the presence of his people; for it shall be your eternal work: praise him, while his enemies deride and abuse you: you shall praise him, while they shall bewail it, and admire you. O blessed employment, to sound forth for
ever, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive honour, glory, and power!"
(Rev. 4:11.) And "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing; for he hath redeemed us to God by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hath made us unto out God, kings and priests." (Rev. 5:9, 10, 12.) "Allelujah, salvation, and honour, and glory, and power, unto the Lord our God: praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, small and great. Allelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." (Rev. 19:1,
5, 6.) O Christians! this is the blessed rest; a rest without rest: for, "they rest not day nor night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." (Rev. 4:8.) Sing forth his praises now, ye saints; it is a work our master Christ has taught us. And you shall for ever sing before him the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God
Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." (Rev.
15:3.) Sect. VI. And if the body shall be thus employed, O how shall the soul be taken up! As its powers and capacities are greatest, so its actions strongest, and its enjoyments sweetest; as the bodily senses have their proper aptitude and action, whereby they receive and enjoy their objects, so doth the soul in its own action enjoy its own object, by knowing, by thinking, and remembering, by loving, and by delightful joying: this is the soul's enjoying. By these eyes it sees, and by these arms it embraceth. If it might be said of the disciples with Christ on earth, much more that behold him in his glory, "Blessed are the eyes that see the things that ye see, and the ears that hear the things that ye hear; for many princes and great ones have desired, and hoped, to see the things that ye see, and have not seen them,"
&c. (Matt. 13:16, 17.) Knowledge of itself is very desirable, even the knowledge of some evil, though not the evil itself. As far as the rational soul exceeds the sensitive, so far the delights of a philosopher, in discovering the secrets of nature, and knowing the mystery of sciences, exceed the
delights of the glutton, the drunkard, the unclean, and of all voluptuous sensualists whatsoever; so excellent is all truth. What then is their delight, who know the God of truth? What would I not give, so that all the uncertain, questionable principles in logic, natural philosophy, metaphysics, and medicine, were but certain in themselves, and to me; and that my dull, obscure notions of them were but quick and clear! O, what then should I not either perform or part with to enjoy a clear and true apprehension of the most true
God! How noble a rfaculty of the soul is the understanding! It can compass the earth; it can measure the sun, moon, stars, and heaven; it can foreknow each eclipse to a minute, many years before: yea, but this is the top of all its excellency, it can know God, who is infinite, who made all these; a little here; and more, and much more hereafter. O the wisdom and goodness of our blessed Lord! He hath created the understanding with a natural bias and inclination to truth and its object; and to the prime truth, as its prime object: and lest we should turn aside to any creature, he hath kept this as his own divine prerogative, not communicable to any creature, viz., to be the prime truth. And though I think not, as some do, that there is so near a close between the understanding and truth, as may produce a proper union or identity; yet, doubtless, it is no such cold touch or disdainful embrace, as is between these gross, earthly heterogeneals.
The true, studious, contemplative man knows this to be true; who feels as sweet embraces between his intellect and truth, and far more than ever the quickest sense did in possessing its desired object. But the true, studious, contemplative Christian knows it much more; who sometime hath felt more sweet embraces between his soul and Jesus
Christ than all inferior truth can afford. I know some Christians are kept short this way, especially the careless in their watch and walking; and those that are ignorant or negligent in the daily actings of faith, who look when God casts in joys, while they lie idle, and labour not to fetch them in by believing: but for others, I appeal to the most of them. Christian, dost thou not sometime, when after long gazing heavenward thou hast got a glimpse of Christ, dost thou not seem to have been with Paul in the third heaven, whether in the body or out, and to have seen what is unutterable; art thou not, with Peter,
almost beyond thyself, ready to say, "Master, it is good to be here?" O that I might ever see what I now see! Didst thou never look so long upon the Son of God, till thine eyes were dazzled with his astonishing glory; and did not the splendour of it make all things below seem black and dark to thee when thou lookedst down again, especially in thy day of suffering for Christ, when he usually appears most manifestly to his people? Didst thou never see one walking in the midst of the fiery furnace with thee, like to the Son of God? If thou do know him, value him as thy life, and follow on to know him, and thou shalt know incomparably more than this; or, if I do but renew thy grief to tell thee what thou once didst feel, but now hast lost, I counsel thee to remember whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, and be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain;u and I dare promise thee, because God hath promised, thou shalt see and know that which here thine eye could not see, nor thy understanding conceive. Believe me, Christians, yea, believe God, you that have known most of God in Christ here, it is as nothing to that you shall know; it scarcely, in comparison of that, deserves to be called knowledge. The difference betwixt our knowledge now and our knowledge then, will be as great as that between our fleshly bodies now and our spiritual, glorified bodies then; for as these bodies, so that knowledge must cease, that a more perfect may succeed. Our silly, childish thoughts of God, which now is the highest we can reach to, must give place to a more manly knowledge. All this saith the apostle, "Knowledge shall vanish away; for we know in part, &c. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I thought as a child, I understood as a child, but when I became a man I put away childish things; for now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part, but then I shall know even as also I am known." (1 Cor. 13:8–12).) Marvel not, therefore, Christian, at the sense of that place of John
17:3, how it can be life eternal to know God and his Son Jesus Christ: you must needs know, that to enjoy God and his Christ is eternal life, and the soul's enjoying is in knowing. They that savour only of earth,
and consult with flesh, and have no way to try and judge but by sense, and never were acquainted with this knowledge of God, nor tasted how gracious he is, these think it is a poor happiness to know
God: let them have health and wealth, and worldly delights, and take you the other. Alas, poor men, they that have made trial of both do not grudge you your delights, nor envy your happiness, but pity your undoing folly, and wish O that you could come near, and taste and try as they have done, and then judge; then continue in your former mind if you can! For our parts, we say with that knowing apostle, though the speech may seem presumptuous, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness; and we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, in his Son
Jesus Christ: this is the true God, and eternal Life." (1 John 5:19, 20.) Here one verse contains the sum of most that I have said. The Son of God is come to be our Head and Fountain of life, and so hath given us an understanding, that the soul may be personally qualified and made capable to know him (God) that is true, the prime Truth; and we are brought so near in this enjoyment that we are in him that is true, not properly by an essential or personal union, but we are in him by being in his Son Jesus Christ. This, that we have mentioned, is the only true God, and so the fittest object for our understanding, which chooseth truth; and this knowing of him, and being in him, in Christ, is eternal life.
Sect. VII. And, doubtless, the memory will not be idle or useless in this blessed work, if it be but by looking back to help the soul to value its employment. Our knowledge will be enlarged, not diminished; therefore, the knowledge of things past shall not be taken away: and what is that knowledge, but remembrance? Doubtless, from that height, the saint can look behind him and before him; and to compare past with present things, must needs raise, in the blessed soul, an inconceivable esteem and sense of its condition. To stand on that mount, whence we can see the wilderness and Canaan both at once; to stand in heaven, and look back on earth, and weigh them together in the balance of a comparing sense and judgment, how
must it needs transport the soul, and make it cry out, Is this the purchase that cost so dear as the blood of God? No wonder: O blessed price, and thrice blessed love, that invented and condescended! Is this the end of believing; is this the end of the Spirit's workings? Have the gales of grace blown me into such a harbour: is it hither that Christ hath enticed my soul? O blessed way, and thrice blessed end! Is this the glory which the Scriptures spoke of, and ministers preached of so much? Why, now I see the Gospel indeed is good tidings, even tidings of peace and good things; tidings of great joy to all nations. Is my mourning, my fasting, my sad humblings, my heavy walking, groanings, complainings, come to this; are all my afflictions, sickness, languishing, troublesome physic, fears of death, come to this; are all Satan's temptations, the world's scorns and jeers, come to this; and, now, if there be such a thing as indignation left, how will it here let fly! O vile nature, that resisted so much, and so long such a blessing: unworthy soul! Is this the place thou camest so unwillingly towards: was duty wearisome; was the world too good to lose? Didst thou stick at leaving all, denying all, and suffering any thing for this: wast thou loath to die to come to this? O false heart, that had almost betrayed me to eternal flames, and lost me this glory! O base flesh, that would needs have been pleased, though to the loss of this felicity! Didst thou make me to question the truth of this glory; didst thou show me improbabilities, and draw me to distrust the Lord; didst thou question the truth of that scripture which promised this? Why, my soul, art thou not now ashamed that ever thou didst question that love that hath brought thee hither; that thou wast jealous of the faithfulness of thy Lord; that thou suspectedst his love when thou shouldest only have suspected thyself; that thou didst not live continually transported with thy Saviour's love; and that, ever, thou quenchedst a motion of his Spirit? Art thou not ashamed of all thy hard thoughts of such a God; of all thy misinterpreting of, and grudging at, those providences, and repining at those ways that have such an end? Now, thou art sufficiently convinced that the ways thou calledst hard, and the cup thou calledst bitter, were necessary; that thy Lord hath sweeter ends, and meant thee better than thou wouldst believe; and
that thy Redeemer was saving thee, as well when he crossed thy desires as when he granted them, and as well when he broke thy heart as when he bound it up. O, no thanks to thee, unworthy self, but shame, for this received crown; but to Jehovah and the Lamb be glory for ever.
Thus, as the memory of the wicked will eternally promote their torment, to look back on the pleasures enjoyed, the sin committed, the grace refused, Christ neglected, and time lost; so will the memory of the saints for ever promote their joys. And as it is said to the wicked, "Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things;" so will it be said to the Christian, "Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thine evils; but now thou art comforted, and they are tormented." And as here the remembrance of former good is the occasion of increasing our grief, "I remembered God, and was troubled; I called to remembrance my songs in the night;" (Psal.
77:3, 6;) so there the remembrance of our former sorrows adds life to our joys.
Sect. VIII. But O the full, the near, the sweet enjoyment is that of the affections, love, and joy; it is near! for love is of the essence of the soul, and love is the essence of God: "for God is love." How near, therefore, is this blessed closure! The Spirit's phrase is, "God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1
John 4:8, 16.) The acting of this affection, wheresoever, carrieth much delight along with it, especially when the object appears deserving, and the affection is strong; but oh! what will it be when perfect affections shall have the strongest, perfect, incessant acting upon the most perfect object, the ever-blessed God! Now the poor soul complains, O that I could love Christ more! but I cannot: alas! I cannot; yea, but then thou canst not choose but love him: I had almost said, forbear if thou canst. Now, thou knowest little of his amiableness, and therefore lovest little; then thine eye will affect thy heart, and the continual viewing of that perfect beauty will keep thee in continual ravishments of love. Now thy salvation is not perfected, nor all the mercies purchased, yet given in; but when the top-stone is
set on, thou shalt, with shouting, cry 'Grace, grace!' Now thy sanctification is imperfect, and thy pardon and justification not so complete as then it bshall be; now thou knowest not what thou enjoyest, and therefore lovest the less: but when thou knowest much is forgiven, and much bestowed, thou wilt love more. Doth David, after an imperfect deliverance, sing forth his love: "I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and supplications?" (Psal. 116:1.)
What think you will he do eternally; and how will he love the Lord, who hath lifted him up to that glory? Doth he cry out, "O how I love thy law!" (Psal. 119:97.) "My delight is in the saints on earth, and the excellent." (Psal. 16:3.) How will he say, then, 'O how I love the Lord, and the King of saints, in whom is all my delight!' Christians, doth it now stir up your love, to remember all the experiences of his love; to look back upon a life of mercies? doth not kindness melt you, and the sunshine of divine goodness warm your frozen hearts? What will it do, then, when you shall live in love, and have all in him, who is All?
O the high delights of love, of this love; the content that the heart findeth in it; the satisfaction it brings along with it! Surely, love is both work and wages.
And if this were all, what a high favour, that God will give us leave to love him; that he will vouchsafe to be embraced by such arms, that have embraced lust and sin before him! but this is not all. He returneth love for love; nay, a thousand times more: as perfect as we shall be, we cannot reach his measure of love; Christian, thou wilt be then brimful of love; yet love as much as thou canst, thou shalt be ten thousand times more beloved.d Dost thou think thou canst overlove him? What, love more than love itself! were the arms of the Son of God open upon the cross, and an open passage made to his heart by the spear, and will not arms and heart be open to thee in glory; did he begin to love before thou lovedst, and will not he continue now: did he love thee, an enemy; thee, a sinner; thee, who even loathedst thyself: and own thee when thou didst disclaim thyself; and will he not now immeasurably love thee, a son; thee, a perfect saint; thee, who returnest some love for love: thou wast wont injuriously to question his love; doubt of it now if thou canst. As the pains of hell
will convince the rebellious sinner of God's wrath, who would never before believe it; so the joys of heaven will convince thee thoroughly of that love which thou wouldst so hardly be persuaded of. He that in love wept over the old Jerusalem near her ruins; with what love will he rejoice over the New Jerusalem in her glory? O, methinks I see him groaning and weeping over dead Lazarus, till he forced the Jews that stood by to say, "Behold how he loved him!" Will he not then much more, by rejoicing over us, make all (even the damned if they see it) to say, Behold how he loveth them? Is his spouse, while black, yet comely: is she his love, his dove, his undefiled; doth she ravish his heart with one of her eyes; is her love better than wine? O, believing soul, study a little, and tell me, what is the harvest which these first-fruits foretell; and the love which these are but the earnest of? Here! O here is the heaven of heaven! this is the saint's fruition of God; in these sweet, mutual, constant actings and embracements of love, doth it consist. To love, and be beloved: "These are the everlasting arms that are underneath." (Deut. 33:27.) "His left hand is under their heads, and with his right hand doth he embrace them."
(Cant. 2:6.) Reader, stop here, and think awhile what a state this is.
Is it a small thing in thine eyes to be beloved of God; to be the son, the spouse, the love, the delight of the King of glory? Christian, believe this, and think on it; thou shalt be eternally embraced in the arms of that love, which was from everlasting, and will extend to everlasting: of that love, which brought the Son of God's love from heaven to earth, from earth to the cross, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to glory: that love, which was weary, hungry, tempted, scorned, scourged, buffeted, spit upon, crucified, pierced; which did fast, pray, teach, heal, weep, sweat, bleed, die: that love will eternally embrace them. When perfect, created love, and most perfect, uncreated love meet together, O the blessed meeting! It will not be like Joseph and his brethren, who lay upon one another's necks weeping; it will break forth into a pure joy, and not such a mixture of joy and sorrow as their weeping argued; it will be loving and rejoicing, not loving and sorrowing: yet will it make Pharaoh's
(Satan's) court to ring with the news, that Joseph's brethren are come; that the saints are arrived safe at the bosom of Christ, out of
the reach of hell for ever. Neither is there any such love as David's and Jonathan's; shutting-up in sorrows, and breathing out its last into sad lamentations for a forced separation: no, Christ is the powerful, attractive, the effectual Loadstone, who draws to it all like itself. "All that the Father hath given him, shall come unto him; even the lover, as well as the love, doth he draw; and they that come unto him, he will in nowise cast out." (John 6:37–39.) For know this, believer, to thy everlasting comfort, that if these arms have once embraced thee, neither sin nor hell can get thee thence for ever: the sanctuary is inviolable, and the rock impregnable, whither thou art fled, and thou art safely locked up to all eternity. Thou hast not now to deal with an inconstant creature, but with him, with whom is no varying nor shadow of change, even the immutable God. If thy happiness were in thine own hand, as Adam's, there were yet fear; but it is in the keeping of a faithful Creator. Christ hath not bought thee so dear, to trust thee with thyself any more. His love to thee will not be as thine was on earth to him, seldom and cold, up and down, mixed, (as agueish bodies,) with burning and quaking, with a good day and a bad: no, Christian, he that would not be discouraged by thine enmity, by thy loathsome, hateful nature, by all thy unwillingness, unkind neglects, and churlish resistances; he that would neither cease nor abate his love for all these, can he cease to love thee, when he hath made thee truly lovely? He that keepeth thee so constant in thy love to him, that thou canst challenge "tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword, to separate thy love from Christ if they can." (Rom. 8:35.) How much more will himself be constant! Indeed, he that produced these mutual, embracing affections, will also produce such a mutual constancy in both, that thou mayest confidently be persuaded, as Paul was before thee, "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:38, 39.) And now are we not left in the apostles' admiration? What shall we say to these things? Infinite love must needs be a mystery to a finite capacity. No wonder if angels desire to pry into this mystery: and if it
be the study of the saints here, to know the height, and breadth, and length, and depth, of this love, though it passeth knowledge: this is the saint's rest in the fruition of God by love.
Sect. X. Lastly: The affection of joy hath not the least share in this fruition. It is that which all the rest lead to, and conclude in; even the inconceivable complacency which the blessed feel in their seeing, knowing, loving, and being beloved of God. The delight of the senses here, cannot be known by expressions, as they are felt; how much less this joy! This is the "white stone, which none knoweth but he that receiveth;" and if there be any "joy which the stranger meddleth not with," then surely this, above all, is it. All Christ's ways of mercy tend to and end in the saints' joys. He wept, sorrowed, suffered, that they might rejoice; he sendeth the Spirit to be their comforter; be multiplieth promises, he discovers their future happiness; that their
"joy may be full:" he aboundeth to them in the mercies of all sorts; he maketh them lie down in green pastures, and leadeth them by the still waters; yea, openeth to them the fountain of living waters; that their joy may be full: that they may thirst no more; and that it may spring up in them to everlasting life.h Yea, he causeth them to suffer, that he may cause them to rejoice; and chasteneth them, that he may give them rest; and maketh them, as he did himself, "to drink of the brook in the way, that they may lift up the head." (Psal. 110:7.) And lest, after all this, they should neglect their own comforts, he maketh it their duty, and presseth it on them, commanding them to "rejoice in him always, and again to rejoice." And he never brings them into so low a condition, wherein he leaves them not more cause of joy than of sorrow. And hath the Lord such a care of our comfort here; where, the Bridegroom being from us, we must mourn? Oh! what will that joy be, where the soul being perfectly prepared for joy, and joy prepared by Christ for the soul, it shall be our work, our business, eternally to rejoice! And it seems the saints' joy shall be greater than the damned's torment; for their torment is the torment of creatures, prepared for the devil and his angels: but our joy is the joy of our
Lord; even our Lord's own joy shall we enter: "and the same glory which the Father giveth him, doth the Son give to them;" (John
17:22;) "and to sit with him in his throne, even as he is set down in his Father's throne." (Rev. 3:21.) What sayest thou to all this, O thou sad and drooping soul? Thou that now spendest thy days in sorrow, and thy breath in sighings, and turnest all thy voice into groanings: who knowest no garments but sackcloth, no food but the bread and water of affliction; who minglest thy bread with tears, and drinkest the tears which thou weepest; what sayest thou to this great change; from all sorrow to more than all joy? Thou poor soul, who prayest for joy, waitest for joy, complainest for want of joy, longest for joy; why, then, thou shalt have full joy, as much as thou canst hold, and more than ever thou thoughtest on, or thy heart desired. And, in the meantime, walk carefully, watch constantly, and then let God measure out thy times and degrees of joy. It may be he keeps them till thou have more need: thou mayest better lose thy comfort than thy safety; if thou shouldst die full of fears and sorrows, it will be but a moment, and they are all gone, and conclude in joy inconceivable.
As the joy of the hypocrite, so the fears of the upright are but for a moment. And as their hopes are but golden dreams, which when death awakes, do then all perish, and their hopes die with them; so the saints' doubts and fears are but terrible dreams, which, when they die, do all vanish; and they awake in joyful glory. For "God's anger endureth but a moment, but in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, darkness and sadness go together, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psal. 30:5.) O blessed morning, thrice blessed morning! poor, humble, drooping soul, how would it fill thee with joy now, if a voice from heaven should tell thee of the love of God; of the pardon of thy sins; and should assure thee of thy part in these joys?
O, what then will thy joys be, when thy actual possession shall convince thee of thy title, and thou shalt be in heaven before thou art well aware; when the angels shall bring thee to Christ, and when
Christ shall, as it were, take thee by the hand, and lead thee into thy purchased possession, and bid thee welcome to thy rest, and present thee unspotted before his Father, and give thee thy place about his throne! Poor sinner, what sayest thou to such a day as this? wilt thou not be almost ready to draw back, and to say, What I, Lord, I, the unworthy neglecter of thy grace! I, the unworthy disesteemer of thy
blood, and slighter of thy love! must I have this glory? "Make me a hired servant, I am no more worthy to be called a son:" but love will have it so; therefore must thou enter into his joy.
Sect. XI. And it is not thy joy only; it is a mutual joy as well as a mutual love: is there such joy in heaven at thy conversion, and will there be none at thy glorification: will not the angels welcome thee thither, and congratulate thy safe arrival? yea, it is the joy of Jesus
Christ; for now he hath the end of his undertaking, labour, suffering, dying, when we have our joys; when he is "glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe." We are his seed, and the fruit of his soul's travail, which, when he seeth, he will be satisfied. (Isa. 53:10,
11.) This is Christ's harvest, when he shall reap the fruit of his labours; and when he seeth it was not in vain, it will not repent him concerning his sufferings; but he will rejoice over his purchased inheritance, and his people shall rejoice in him.
Yea, the Father himself puts on joy, too, in our joy: as we grieve his Spirit, and weary him with our iniquities, so he is rejoiced in our good. O how quickly here he doth espy a returning prodigal, even afar off: how doth he run and meet him; and with what compassion falls he on his neck, and kisseth him; and puts on him the best robe, and a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and spares not to kill the fatted calf, that they may eat and be merry! this is indeed a happy meeting; but nothing to the embracements and the joy of that last and great meeting.
Yea, more yet; as God doth mutually love and joy, so he makes this his rest, as it is our rest. Did he appoint a Sabbath, because he rested from six days' work, and saw all good, and very good? What an eternal sabbatism, then, when the work of redemption, sanctification, preservation, glorification, are all finished, and his work more perfect than ever, and very good indeed! So the Lord is said to rejoice, and to take pleasure in his people. (Ps. 147:11, and 149:4.) O, Christians, write these words in letters of gold; "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee, is mighty: he will save: he will rejoice
over thee with joy: he will rest in his love: he will joy over thee with singing." (Zeph. 3:17.) O, well may we then rejoice in our God with joy, and rest in our love, and joy in him with singing. (See Isa. 65:18,
19.) And now look back upon all this; I say to thee, as the angel to John, "What hast thou seen?" or if yet thou perceive not, draw nearer, come up higher, come and see: dost thou fear thou hast been all this while in a dream? Why, these are the true sayings of God. Dost thou fear, as the disciples, that thou hast seen but a ghost, instead of Christ; a shadow instead of rest? Why, come near and feel: a shadow contains not those substantial blessings, nor rests upon the basis of such a foundation truth, and sure word of promise, as you have seen these do. Go thy way now, and tell the disciples, and tell the humble, drooping souls thou meetest with, that thou hast, in this glass, seen heaven; that the Lord indeed is risen, and hath here appeared to thee; and behold he is gone before us into rest; and that he is now preparing a place for them, and will come again, and take them to himself, that where he is, there they may be also. (John 14:3.) Yea, go thy ways, and tell the unbelieving world, and tell thy unbelieving heart, if they ask what is the hope thou boastest of, and what will be thy rest. Why, this is my beloved, and my friend, and this is my hope and my rest. Call them forth, and say, "Behold what love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be the sons of God;" (1 John
3:1;) and that we should enter into our Lord's own rest.
Sect. XII. But, alas! my fearful heart dare scarce proceed: methinks I hear the Almighty's voice saying to me, as to Elihu, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38:2.)
But pardon, O Lord, thy servant's sin: I have not pried into unrevealed things, nor, with audacious wits, curiously searched into thy counsels; but, indeed, I have dishonoured thy holiness, wronged thine excellency, disgraced thy saints' glory, by my own exceeding, disproportionable portraying. I will bewail, from my heart, that my conceivings fall so short, my apprehensions are so dull, my thoughts
so mean, my affections so stupid, and my expressions so low and unbeseeming such a glory. But I have only heard by the hearing of the ear: O let thy servant see thee, and possess these joys; and then I shall have more suitable conceivings, and shall give thee fuller glory, and abhor my present self, and disclaim and renounce all these imperfections. "I have now uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Yet I believed, and therefore spake." (Job 42:3.) Remember with whom thou hast to do: what canst thou expect from dust, but levity; or from corruption, but defilement? Our foul hands will leave, where they touch, the marks of their uncleanness; and most on those things that are most pure. "I know thou wilt be sanctified in them that come nigh thee, and before all the people thou wilt be glorified." (Lev. 10:2, 3; Numb. 20:12;
Deut. 32:51.) And if thy jealousy excluded from that land of rest, thy servants, Moses and Aaron, because they sanctified thee not in the midst of Israel, what then may I expect? But, though the weakness and irreverence be the fruit of my own corruption, yet the fire is from thine altar, and the work of thy commanding. I looked not into thine ark, nor put forth my hand unto it without thee. O, therefore, wash away these stains also in the blood of the Lamb: and let not jealousy burn us up; lest thou affright the people away from thee, and make them, in their discouragement, to cry out, "How shall the ark of God come to us? Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? Who shall approach and dwell with the consuming fire?" (2 Sam. 6:9; 1
Sam. 6:20; Matt. 26:14.) Imperfect, or none, must be thy service here. Oh! take thy Son's excuse, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."